The 100 most common Persian words

Persian grammar can look intimidating from the outside, but a small set of words does most of the daily work. Learn these hundred first, the pronouns, the common verbs, and the little connecting words, and you can already follow along in everyday conversation. This list gives you each word in a real sentence, not just a bare translation.

How to use this list

Do not work through this list top to bottom. Read down it and mark only the words you could not have produced yourself. Those are your list. The rest are already yours, and reviewing them is wasted effort better spent on words you actually meet in reading, conversation, or subtitles.

The 100 words

#	Persian	English	In use
1	و	and	من نان و پنیر می‌خورم.I eat bread and cheese.
2	در	in	کتاب در کیف است.The book is in the bag.
3	به	to	او به مدرسه می‌رود.He goes to school.
4	از	from	این نامه از دوستم است.This letter is from my friend.
5	که	that, which, who	می‌دانم که تو خسته‌ای.I know that you are tired.
6	این	this	این خانه‌ی من است.This is my house.
7	را	(marks a direct object)	من کتاب را خواندم.I read the book.
8	با	with	او با خواهرش زندگی می‌کند.She lives with her sister.
9	است	is	هوا امروز گرم است.The weather is hot today.
10	برای	for	این هدیه برای توست.This gift is for you.
11	آن	that	آن ماشین قدیمی است.That car is old.
12	یک	one, a	او یک برادر دارد.He has one brother.
13	من	I	من فارسی صحبت می‌کنم.I speak Persian.
14	تو	you (informal, singular)	تو خیلی مهربانی.You are very kind.
15	او	he, she	او معلم است.She is a teacher.
16	ما	we	ما به سینما می‌رویم.We are going to the cinema.
17	شما	you (plural, formal)	شما کجا زندگی می‌کنید؟Where do you live?
18	آنها	they	آنها در تهران زندگی می‌کنند.They live in Tehran.
19	هم	also, too	من هم گرسنه‌ام.I am also hungry.
20	اما	but	او خسته بود اما شاد بود.He was tired but happy.
21	یا	or	چای می‌خواهی یا قهوه؟Do you want tea or coffee?
22	اگر	if	اگر باران بیاید، در خانه می‌مانیم.If it rains, we'll stay home.
23	چون	because	من نیامدم چون مریض بودم.I didn't come because I was sick.
24	وقتی	when	وقتی رسیدم، او خواب بود.When I arrived, he was asleep.
25	هر	every, each	هر روز ورزش می‌کنم.I exercise every day.
26	همه	all, everyone	همه از او خوششان می‌آید.Everyone likes him.
27	هیچ	none, nothing	هیچ کس نیامد.Nobody came.
28	خیلی	very, a lot	این غذا خیلی خوشمزه است.This food is very delicious.
29	کم	little, few	او کم حرف می‌زند.He talks little.
30	زیاد	much, many	او دوستان زیادی دارد.He has many friends.
31	بزرگ	big	آنها یک خانه‌ی بزرگ دارند.They have a big house.
32	کوچک	small	این اتاق خیلی کوچک است.This room is very small.
33	خوب	good	این یک ایده‌ی خوب است.This is a good idea.
34	بد	bad	هوای امروز بد است.Today's weather is bad.
35	جدید	new	او یک ماشین جدید خرید.He bought a new car.
36	قدیمی	old	این یک کتاب قدیمی است.This is an old book.
37	اول	first	این اولین سفر من به ایران است.This is my first trip to Iran.
38	آخر	last	این آخرین شانس توست.This is your last chance.
39	دیگر	other, else	یک فنجان دیگر چای می‌خواهم.I want another cup of tea.
40	همان	the same	ما همان مشکل را داریم.We have the same problem.
41	بودن	to be	او می‌خواهد دکتر باشد.He wants to be a doctor.
42	داشتن	to have	او دو خواهر دارد.She has two sisters.
43	کردن	to do	چه کار می‌کنی؟What are you doing?
44	گفتن	to say	او حقیقت را گفت.He told the truth.
45	رفتن	to go	باید به خانه بروم.I have to go home.
46	آمدن	to come	فردا به مهمانی می‌آیی؟Are you coming to the party tomorrow?
47	دیدن	to see	می‌خواهم تو را ببینم.I want to see you.
48	دادن	to give	او به من یک هدیه داد.He gave me a gift.
49	گرفتن	to take, to get	او تاکسی گرفت.He took a taxi.
50	خواستن	to want	چه چیزی می‌خواهی؟What do you want?
51	توانستن	to be able, can	می‌توانم به تو کمک کنم.I can help you.
52	دانستن	to know	جواب را نمی‌دانم.I don't know the answer.
53	شدن	to become	هوا سرد شد.The weather became cold.
54	ماندن	to stay, to remain	امشب در خانه می‌مانیم.We're staying home tonight.
55	پرسیدن	to ask	او یک سوال پرسید.He asked a question.
56	نوشتن	to write	او یک نامه نوشت.She wrote a letter.
57	خواندن	to read	هر شب کتاب می‌خوانم.I read a book every night.
58	شنیدن	to hear	خبر را شنیدی؟Did you hear the news?
59	دوست داشتن	to like, to love	من موسیقی را دوست دارم.I love music.
60	فکر کردن	to think	به آینده فکر می‌کنم.I'm thinking about the future.
61	روز	day	امروز روز خوبی بود.Today was a good day.
62	زمان	time	زمان زیادی نداریم.We don't have much time.
63	سال	year	او سه سال در پاریس زندگی کرد.He lived in Paris for three years.
64	مرد	man	آن مرد پدر من است.That man is my father.
65	زن	woman	آن زن پزشک است.That woman is a doctor.
66	بچه	child	بچه در حیاط بازی می‌کند.The child is playing in the yard.
67	خانه	house	خانه‌ی ما نزدیک پارک است.Our house is near the park.
68	آب	water	لطفاً یک لیوان آب بده.Please give me a glass of water.
69	دست	hand	دستم درد می‌کند.My hand hurts.
70	چشم	eye	او چشمان قهوه‌ای دارد.He has brown eyes.
71	کلمه	word	معنی این کلمه چیست؟What is the meaning of this word?
72	زندگی	life	زندگی کوتاه است.Life is short.
73	دنیا	world	دنیا بزرگ و زیباست.The world is big and beautiful.
74	شهر	city	تهران بزرگترین شهر ایران است.Tehran is Iran's biggest city.
75	کار	work	او کار زیادی دارد.He has a lot of work.
76	پول	money	پول کافی نداریم.We don't have enough money.
77	کتاب	book	این کتاب را دوست دارم.I like this book.
78	راه	road, way	این راه به مرکز شهر می‌رود.This road leads to the city center.
79	چیز	thing	این یک چیز مهم است.This is an important thing.
80	سوال	question	این سوال خوبی است.That's a good question.
81	جواب	answer	جواب درست را نمی‌دانم.I don't know the right answer.
82	صبح	morning	صبح زود بیدار شدم.I woke up early in the morning.
83	دوست	friend	او بهترین دوست من است.He is my best friend.
84	خانواده	family	خانواده‌ی من بزرگ است.My family is big.
85	هفته	week	این هفته خیلی مشغول بودم.I was very busy this week.
86	ماه	month, moon	ماه آینده به سفر می‌روم.I'm going on a trip next month.
87	امروز	today	امروز حالم خوب است.I feel good today.
88	فردا	tomorrow	فردا تو را می‌بینم.I'll see you tomorrow.
89	دیروز	yesterday	دیروز باران بارید.It rained yesterday.
90	الان	now	الان وقت ندارم.I don't have time right now.
91	اینجا	here	لطفاً اینجا بنشین.Please sit here.
92	آنجا	there	کتاب‌ها آنجا هستند.The books are over there.
93	کجا	where	کلیدها کجا هستند؟Where are the keys?
94	چرا	why	چرا دیر آمدی؟Why did you come late?
95	چطور	how	چطور به آنجا برویم؟How do we get there?
96	کی	when	کی به خانه می‌رسی؟When will you get home?
97	چه	what	امروز چه خبر است؟What's new today?
98	کدام	which	کدام کتاب را می‌خواهی؟Which book do you want?
99	چند	how many	چند تا خواهر داری؟How many sisters do you have?
100	نه	no	نه، من گرسنه نیستم.No, I'm not hungry.

The ones English speakers get wrong

را (râ): the direct object marker

Persian marks a definite direct object with را right after it, a feature with no direct English equivalent. Compare کتاب را خواندم (I read the book, definite, so را appears) with یک کتاب خواندم (I read a book, indefinite, so را is dropped). Forgetting را, or adding it where the object is indefinite, is one of the first grammar habits English speakers have to build.

the ezafe connector

Persian links a noun to a following possessive or adjective with a short unwritten vowel called the ezafe, usually pronounced e or ye. خانه‌ی من (my house) is literally house-of me, and the ezafe sound is what glues them together even though ordinary script doesn't mark it. Learners who skip it in speech sound choppy even when every word is correct.

او (u) covers both he and she

Persian has no grammatical gender and a single third-person singular pronoun, او, for both he and she, so unlike English you cannot tell gender from the pronoun alone. Context, a name, or a noun like مرد (man) or زن (woman) is what tells you who is meant, so pay attention to the surrounding sentence rather than expecting the pronoun to do that work.

تو vs. شما: informal and formal you

تو is the informal you, used with close friends, family, and children, while شما is both the formal singular you and the ordinary plural you, used with strangers, elders, and anyone you'd address politely. Using تو with someone you've just met can come across as overly familiar, so when unsure, شما is the safer default.

dropped pronouns: the verb ending already says who

Persian verbs conjugate for person and number, so the ending alone often tells you who the subject is, and pronouns like من or او are frequently left out in ordinary speech. می‌روم already means I go on its own, so من می‌روم adds emphasis rather than new information. Expect to hear sentences with no subject pronoun at all.

compound verbs: noun plus کردن or داشتن

Many of the most common Persian verbs are actually a noun paired with a light verb like کردن (to do) or داشتن (to have), rather than a single word the way English verbs usually are. دوست داشتن (friend plus to have) means to like or love, and فکر کردن (thought plus to do) means to think. Recognizing this pattern makes a huge share of everyday vocabulary easier to guess.

What to do next

A list this size is about two weeks of light daily review, and it is the difference between decoding Persian and following it.